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Amtrak: Chugging
Toward Oblivion

Updated Nov. 5, 1997 12:01 a.m. ET

It's a relief to learn that Amtrak and the Brotherhood of Maintenance of Way Employees have reached a tentative settlement of their wage dispute. But Amtrak is about to be saddled with extra wage demands that could cost nearly half a billion dollars over five years once other unions have had their day at the bargaining table. Amtrak could face strike threats from a dozen unions in the next three to four years because it won't be able to meet all their wage demands--unless Congress bows to Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and grants Amtrak near-record subsidies, similar to the railroad's extravagant 1970s budgets.